Surgical tracts, containing a treatise upon ulcers of the legs ; in which former methods of treatment are candidly examined, and compared with one more rational and safe; effected without rest and confinement : together with hints on a successful method of treating some scrophulous tumors; and the mammary-abscess, and sore nipples of lying-in women / by Michael Underwood, M.D.

  • Underwood, Michael, 1736-1820.
Date:
MDCCLXXXVIII [1788]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Surgical tracts, containing a treatise upon ulcers of the legs ; in which former methods of treatment are candidly examined, and compared with one more rational and safe; effected without rest and confinement : together with hints on a successful method of treating some scrophulous tumors; and the mammary-abscess, and sore nipples of lying-in women / by Michael Underwood, M.D. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by the Francis A. Countway Library of Medicine, through the Medical Heritage Library. The original may be consulted at the Francis A. Countway Library of Medicine, Harvard Medical School.

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    vi'ith not only in large and tumid limbs, but in very- well fliaped legs, where the oedema is not pcrcep- lible to the eye, but may always be difcovered by a 'careful examination with the finger.—As I have rarely allowed any of my patients to apply the bandage themfelves, and have always been careful of drawing it tight, it is not likely this painful oedema Ihould have often fallen in my way. The fingle inftance I met with, however, has borne fuch dire<ft tellimony to the obfervation of my correfpondent, (who is often obliged to allow diftant patients to drefs their own fores for feveral days together), that it could not but appear to me as highly improper to overlook an obfervation, from which it is probable many patients may be benefited. After what has been faid, another obfervation or two refpedting the fymptomi of pain, is all that will be neceffary. And here I remark, that fevere pain niuft be mitigated, if it cannot be entirely removed, or nothing will go on well; whilft the degree of pain, together with the nature of the difcharge, will point out the moft proper remedy for it; the quantity of the anodyne, is therefore not fo much to be attended to, as its efFedts. I have known excruciating pain from fmall ulcers, almofl entirely removed by half a grain of opium, taken only every other night, whilft at other times, three or four grains have given but little relief. In thefe cafes, the difcharge is always thin and acrid ^ and though fuch vitiated matter may arife from the morbid ftate of the folids, and of the fecre- tory